Apparatus for automatically playing keyed instruments.



P. STONE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING KEYED INSTRUMENTS. nruonrox rum) Kn 1a. mos.

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No. 844,052 PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. P. STONE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING KEYED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATIOI FILED HAY 1a. 1903.

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- F. STONE. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIGALLY PLAYING KEYED INSTRUMENTS.

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"N0. 844,052. PATENTBD FEB. 12, 1907. I. STONE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING KEYED INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a. 190B.

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FRANK STONE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATlOALLlY PLAYING KEYED INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 18,1903. Serial No- 157,667.

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, FRANK STONE, organbuilder, a citizen of the State of Massachw setts, residing at Erskine Road, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Auto matically Playing Keyed lnstrun'ients, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of apparatus for antomatically playing keyed instruments, such as pianofortes, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of this apparatus with as much of a pianoferte shown as is necessary to illustrate the application of this apparatus when in use. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing certain parts of the apparatus, others not forming part of this invention being omitted. Fig. 3 is a plan of this apparatus, partly in section, and of part of a pianoforte, and serves to illustrate certain parts of this invention. Fig. 4 is an elevation of certain parts on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. -l. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of the casing and shows the shoe or bracket for the pedals. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation corresponding with Fig. 6. Fig. is a front GlBVtlllOD, parts being broken away, of the parts shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In order to permit an apparatus of this kind to be used with pianofortes or the like of varying dimensions, it is necessary to provide means permitting the fingers of the apparatus to strike the keys of the piano, say, exactly as and where the fingers of a skilful performer would touch the same. It is therefore requisite that the lingers may be raised or lowered to a certain extent, that they may be brought nearer to or removed farther from the fall of the PlltnOfGl'tC, and that nevertheless the pedals that work the apparatus be so su ported that they will not tend to overturn tl ie apparatus, as is the case with some older forms.

Another requirement in an apparatus of this kind is that the music-sheet may pass over the tracker in such a manner that the perforations in the sheet come exactly over the openings in the tracker. More over, the pneumatic power must he so ad mitted to the primary bellows that even when the apparatus is set to play softly the action of the primaries shall be certain and prompt. These several requirements are fulfilled by this invention as follows: Thefirst operation to he ellected in applying the threaded so as to screw inward or outward,

required. A lock-nut e serves to secure it in the proper position. The rod :1 carries a padded button or head a which bears against the front of the pianoforte when the apparatus is in position. a slide l) is provided, in which moves a dovetailed block 11, carrying a bar b a set-screw 5 serving to secure the block I) in place.

When the apparatus is moved up to the pianoforte, the rods (1 and bars l) are drawn back, the apparatus is adjusted (by moving it to or fro) until the fingers fall correctly on the keys. Then the rods (1. are screwed outward until the head a touches the pianol'ront and then screwed by the lock-nuts (1.. This prevents the apparatus moving for ward toward the pianofortc when the pedals are worked. The bars b are then adjusted by moving the blocks 1) until the said bars I) touch the key-blocks of the pianoforte, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The bars are then secured in place with the blocks on which they are mounted by drawing tight the setscrews b. It will generally be found desirable so to mount the bars if that when in position against the key-block each will slightly depress the key just under such bar. This adjustment of the bars b prevents lateral disphiccment of the a 'iparatus. It will now lit. ncressiry to adjust the lingers as to the hcight--tha1t is to say, the lingers must he brought to such position as to just touch the piano-keys when at rest in readiness to depress the keys when actuated by the corresponding pneumatics. The means adopted for this purpose are shown in Figs. 2 and B B are the pneumatics actuating the lingcrs by wires or rodsB' B, as usual. 0 C are the lingers. All lingers C C have their fulcra in a bar (1, extending entirely across the a paratus. As will be seen more particular y in Fig. 3, the ends c of the bar 0' are guided The appa- This arrangement is carried by a On the bracket A in grooves or recesses in the case of the apparatus and mounted on screw-rods 0, nuts serving to secure the same to be secured in proper position. This arran ement permits the front or striking end of the fingers to be raised or lowered as required without interfering with the rear ends upon which the wires B B act. The apparatus and fingers being thus brought into proper position the pedals have to be so supported as not to exert a pull on the case of the apparatus, as this would tend to sway the whole. The

edals D are therefore mounted in a shoe or racket D capable of up-and-down movement. On the casing of the apparatus are provided wing-pieces D D", which have slots d (1'. I11 the slots d d work screw-threaded studs d d, fixed on the sides of the shoe or bracket D. Upon the studs (1 (1 run thumbnuts d d \Vhen the whole apparatus is to be set up, the thumb-nuts are loosened and the shoe D allowed to drop until the casters or rollers d d thereon securely rest on the floor. The nuts are then tightened again and hold the shoe in place.

hen the apparatus is in proper position, the nuts 01 are loosened and the shoe D permitted to drop until the bottom board of the same rests on the floor. 'l he nuts are then tightened again. The parts being so fixed, the pressure of the outer end of the pedals D, taken by the shoe D, is exerted on the floor. The pressure of the inner ends being exerted upon the bellows, there will thus be no tendency to pull over the case.

The thumb-nuts (1 form the ends of a rod passing from side to side of the ease between the boards that inclose the space wherein the edals work. The studs project outside the wards forming the recess, the remainder of the rod being within the recess.

In order to insure that the primary pneu maties may act promptly and forcibly even when the apparatus is set to play piano or pianissimo, the chamber or trunk containing such primary pneumatics is, by a pipe E, (see Fig. 2,) connected with the main pressure-chest, so that although the power de pressing the fingers is small, as is necessary for playing iano, yet sufiicicnt pressure is exerted at a 1 times upon the primary pneumatics to insure their prompt action.

In order to permit the music-sheet to move over the tracker with absolute exactness, the spool is mounted in a slide or carriage capable of some lateral movement. This is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

F is the carriage, F F being two rollers or spools for the music-sheet G. (Not shown in Fig, 3.) The spools and musicsheet are of the usual construction. The carriage F slides to and fro and is guided on two studs ff, lixed in the case and passing through slots in the bottom board of carriage it. The movement of the carriage is eil'ected by a bar or lever g, which at h hinged to the lront of the tracker and at It embraces a stud or pin on carriage F, so that by the bar 9 the carriage is moved.

I claim 1. In apparatus for automatically playing keyed instruments an arrangement at each end of the apparatus, each such arrangement having a rod adjustable inward and outward by a screw-thread thereon and combined with a lock-nut to secure the same in position, a head on each rod, adapted to bear against the front of the keyed instrument and padding on such head the hole rod and head arrangement on each side combined with a slide, a dovetailed block moving in such slide a bar on said block and a set-screw to hold the block in position.

2. In apparatus for playing keyed musical instruments pedals, a shoe or bracket hinged to lower ends of the pedals and capable of adjustment, screw-threaded studs on the brackets wing-pieces on the instrument, having slots for the said studs, and tliurnb-nuts on the said studs.

3. In apparatus for playing keyed instruments the combination of adjustable stops limiting the forward movement of the whole, adjustable stops limiting the sidewise movement, and means for raising or lowering the fulcra of the fingers all provided with. setscrews fixing the same in relative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

FIANK STONE \Vitnesses BERNHARD DUKEs, W. J NoRwoon. 

